Love Sees No Color
by Meme-Ann
Summary: Luis has finally found the love of his life. This girl is nothing like any girl at Eden Hall. She's so different in fact she was raised by racist parents, ones that hate their daughters new Latino boyfriend.
1. TriciaJean

"I'll call you some time." I say kissing the cheek of my latest on a long list of conquests. All the while thinking 'But don't wait by the phone.' I know I sound like a real prick, right? Yeah I know and in all honesty, when it comes to dating I have a tendency to be. I don't mean to, it's just, I don't know how to explain it.   
  
It's like one day I woke up and realized that if everyone is so certain I'm the original Latin lover, I may as well not disappoint them. So as I stand at the door of Darcy Hunt, I fore fill what everybody thinks of me. So goes the life of Luis Mendoza.  
  
"Hey Luis, how'd your date go, did ya'll have a good time?" My roommate asks cheerily from his bed, where he's watching the PBR on our small color TV. It is times like this I wish I'd been given anyone else as a buck buddy. The instate Ducks have swindled themselves dorm rooms this year and I'm sure no one else on the team would even care enough to ask how my night was. Why oh why couldn't I be given someone who doesn't care what's going on with anyone else? Like Adam, he's quiet enough or Guy, though I think he's still a little sore at me for scamming on Connie during the Goodwill Games, the boy sure can hold a grudge.  
  
"Don't ask Dwayne." I grumble flopping onto my bed  
  
"Aww, come on now, it couldn't be that bad." He says with a smile  
  
"It wasn't the good trust me." I sigh  
  
"It'll happen for you pal, there's someone out there for everybody." Words of wisdom from the kid that thinks Walker Texas Ranger, should've been Emmy nominated. Oh well, Dwayne Robertson may not be the brightest bulb on the tree, in fact he's like the one bulb that made the whole strand go out, but he's also the nicest guy I know.   
  
"Thanks Dwayne, hey I'm goin' to sleep, I wanna hit the gym before practice tomorrow." I pull off my jeans and sweater, crawling into bed clad only in boxers and a wife beater.  
  
"Alright, g'night partner." And Dwayne shuts off the light  
  
  
"Sixty-one, sixty-two, sixty-three." I count out loud the next morning as I do leg lifts in student's fitness area at school. When the team found out I planned on working out before practice that morning a lot of them decided to join me. Banks is using the rowing machine, Charlie and Guy are running laps on the indoor track, Connie doing the treadmill thing and Portman, Fulton and Julie are trying to see to who could do more reps with the dumbbells. My money's on Julie.  
  
"Will you be done with that machine soon slick?" A mildly annoyed voice comes from above me  
  
"Wait your turn." I snap before looking up to put a face to the voice, who ever it was hadn't made me want to share by calling me slick.  
  
"Damn hockey players think you own the school." The person shoots back at me  
  
That went up my butt side ways. I'm so sick of people saying stuff like that. The rest of the Ducks and I work damn hard to stay at the preppy overrun school and everyone makes it out like we ask for to much. It's not our fault that this is a hockey school.  
  
"Listen girl, we're not the ones that walk around here like our shit don't stink." I retort snapping my head up. I try my hardest not to swear in front of girls and especially not too them, but that chick just rubbed me the wrong way.  
  
"Don't get huffy with me Mendoza, I just want a chance at the equipment." She crosses her arms and narrows her eyes. Icy blue eyes almost clear, that look out of place on her perspiring and flushed face. The hair in her sweat soaked ponytail is really dark brown, not yet black, but dark brown and her skins an olive color, those eyes just don't go.  
  
"How do you know my last name?" Now I'm curious  
  
"The same way I know you're on the hockey team, I have ears. It's common knowledge. Just like I also know, you're from Miami, are a great speedster, but spend more time crashing into the boards then you do standing up, oh and you're a real ladies man. At least that's the buzz on the walls in the girls bathroom. But from what I see, you're not much of anything."  
  
I'm about to open my mouth again, when Charlie comes over and reminds me of practice.  
  
"Let's go Luis, wouldn't want Wilson to blow a gasket." He says to me  
  
"Yeah coming, looks like you get to use the machine after all."  
  
"How chivalrous of you." The girl groans as I follow our captain out   
  
An Hour Later  
  
"Luis if you can't figure out how to put the brakes on, you're gonna be on the bench until you can." Wilson yells from where he's standing off to the side of the ice. Tomorrow's the first day of Junior year and he'll be posting the positions at the end of that afternoon's practice.   
  
I sigh and push myself back up. It's not like I'm trying to crash, I've got the bruises to prove it's not an enjoyable experience. Ambling over to the bench, I come to the conclusion that Wilson is right though, I defiantly need to learn to stop. Wouldn't want to give people like that girl some more ammo. I'll make a mental note to fit in some extra rink time, maybe after lunch today, before school tomorrow and prior to tomorrows scrimmage. Hopefully three more bonus practice will keep me from being third line or worse, benched.  
  
AFTER LUIS'S POST LUNCH PRACTICE  
  
Why is it every time I just want to crawl into bed and sleep for the next three days, Dwayne is doing something to prevent it? Just my damn luck, I just walked into our room and his girlfriend Alicia Summers is sitting on his bed crying. I know if I ask him nicely he'd take her some where else, that's just the type of guy he is. But I won't, I'll just sit here and stare into space, maybe eavesdrop a little and see what's going on.  
  
"Luis, glad you're back, could ya gimme a hand? I gotta get Ali's things outa her room. Her new roommates bein' awful mean. Julie and Connie are gonna let her bunk in there till the office can find her another place to go." Dwayne explains, untangling himself from the tiny blonde in his lap. Alicia's roommate must've been really bad to make her cry like that. Her green eyes were so puffy it reminded me of the day Charlie accidentally ate an almond candy bar.  
  
"Sure." I sigh again and get up from my bed and follow cowboy and Alicia  
  
Twenty minutes later I'm alone in Alicia's room trying to gather up the pieces of her stereo, while her boyfriend helps her unpack in Connie and Julie's room.  
  
"What the hell are you doing in my room?" No wonder Alicia can't stand to stay in this room. I recognize that voice.  
  
"Helping move Ali out, you scared her off." I whirl around and wind up staring into the same frozen eyes as earlier.  
  
"Hmmm, it usually takes a week or so for me to chase a roommate off. This must be a record or something." She shrugs, her dark ponytail bobbing up and down. She's actually sort of cute when she's not all clammy and gross. Her jeans fit nice and tight, but not to the point they don't fit, her skins clear of all the red blotches from working out, she's tall, I'd say about 5'10 and she's got nicely toned arms. Still she has those icicle ices, there's something unsettling about them.  
  
"You must be proud." I mutter sarcastically bending down to pick up a speaker  
  
"Actually I am. Well don't let the door hit in ya in the ass." The girl gave me a dismissing wave and turned her back to me, revealing the writing on the back of the football jersey she was wearing.   
  
I had acknowledged the green and blue as a Blake jersey and assumed she was a transfer student when she first came in. I know I'm an Eden Hall student, but I won't deny Blake has best football team in the state. Honestly I even watch some of the games on the high school sports network some time. The back of her shirt reads Lyons 64, I know the star quarterback's name is TJ Lyons and I wonder if she knows him. He's the best QB I've ever seen in high school ball, something like 96.6 percent completed passes.  
  
"Lyons, huh? Do you know TJ?"  
  
"Yeah, really well." She answers, a smile yearning to come out  
  
"Is he like you're boyfriend or something?" I have no idea why I'm so curious, I think maybe because I'm such a fan.  
  
"No." She shakes her head, the smile threatening a little more  
  
"Oh, thought maybe you could introduce us."  
  
"Sure." That was what she was waiting for, as she pops off her bed she extends her hand with a Cheshire cat grin.  
  
I look at her confused and shake my head  
"I don't get it."  
  
"Tricia-Jean Lyons, or TJ on the field." She declares  
  
"You're TJ Lyons?" I look at her skeptically  
  
"Yeah." She nods  
  
"But, you're a girl." Could I be anymore stupid? I mean girls can play contact sports, hell Connie and Julie are tougher then some of us at times.  
  
"Gee ya know, that's why I've been going into the bathroom with the stick figure wearing a dress, my whole life. Thanks for telling me Mendoza, I woulda never guessed. I was wondering why one week a month I get really bitchy and have the desire to consume the worlds chocolate supply." Okay she's starting to get moody again. I'm out of here.  
  
Later that night  
  
Ali's all moved into her new room. I think being with Con and Jules is safer then sharing a room with Tricia-Jean Lyons. She's one scary girl. I'm alone in my room finally, Dwayne took Alicia out for an ice cream. As I lay her in bed there's one thing I can't wrap my mind around. TJ Lyons is not only a girl, but a frigid one at that. What is the world coming too? But then, I guess that clarifies why she hates us hockey players. At Blake football's the biggest thing, here nobody really gives a rat behind about the sport. Something tells me there's going to be trouble. 


	2. Not Mexican

~* I decided yesterday that since I like and miss Jesse he will now be attending Eden Hall with the rest of the Ducks. Just so you all know for future reference. And yes I'm making Fulton and Portman a couple in this story, but since it's about Luis that really won't come into play much.*~  
  
** Tricia-Jean makes a few racist comments in this chapter and I would just want you to Know that I don't agree or feel the same way. It is simple required for the plot line**  
  
I drop my tray with a groan onto the table in front of my seat and deposit myself into the chair. Across the room I see her, Tricia-Jean or TJ or whatever her name is. She gives me this stare that I cant read. Is it hostility, confusion, jealousy, attraction? This has never happened to me before, I can always read a girl's thoughts. I can read them like a book most of the time.  
  
"Luis, Luis, hey Mendoza?" Russ's voice draws my attention back to the team  
  
"Huh?" I shake my head and look at him  
  
"You okay man, you looked like you were zoning out on us."  
  
"Nah, just checking out the new girl, she's pretty hot." I shrug  
  
"New girl, you mean Tricia-Jean?" Banks speaks up from his spot at the end of the table  
  
"Yeah, you know her?"  
  
"You could say that, I dated her in middle school, she's pretty feisty. But you know, under her hard exterior she's really nice. But um, not to sound rude Luis, but you've got no chance with her."  
  
I have no chance with her? Who is he kidding? If that chick gave a cake-eater like Banksie some action, she must be craving a real man. Unless she gets her jollies from preps, in that case, more power to her.  
  
"Oh why's that Banksie?" This I gotta hear  
  
"Oh no it's not like that, I don't mean you're not good enough for her or anything. It's just her parents are umm, well, they're bigots. Her father is really bad, he won't even let her date someone that's not Roman Catholic."  
  
"So basically what you're telling me is I don't stand a chance just because I'm Latino?"  
  
Adam nods with a sigh.  
  
"Oh." Is all I can really seem to manage  
  
Kenny tries to sound supportive by saying  
"If it makes you feel any better, she couldn't date Russ, Jesse and I either."  
  
"Or me, I'm Jewish." Goldberg adds  
  
Before I get the chance to declare  
'Sorry guys, but that's not helping.'  
  
Charlie changes the subject  
"I know I'm going to regret this but where are Fulton and Portman? The last time they skipped breakfast to make out they missed first period too and got suspended from the team for a week."  
  
"Oh I ran into them in the hallway, I forgot to tell you, they're having morning tryouts with coach McKenna, since they cant make after school ones because of hockey." Guy answers spreading jelly evenly over his English muffin  
  
"Coach McKenna, they wanna play football?" Dwayne questions adjusting his black Cowboy hat  
  
"Maybe they decided they weren't pounding in enough sculls playing just hockey." Julie jokes  
  
"Besides Fulton use to play back when we were younger. Preppy schools gave him scholarships as long as he didn't play hockey." Jesse laughed and so did the rest of the original Ducks  
  
"I'm lost." I state  
  
"Me too." Ken laments  
  
"Me three and I'm one of the District Five Ducks." Adam agrees  
  
"Before you Banksie boy." Charlie informs him as the bell rings and we have to head off to class  
  
Have I ever mentioned how much I hate Geography? More then likely I haven't right? Well guess what I had first period, oh yes, Geography with Mrs. Patterson. And guess who else, none other then Tricia-Jean. Luckily Fulton, Guy, Julie and Dwayne were in the class too.   
  
TJ walked in dressed in a gray tank top and black hooded sweat shirt and a pair of gray tare away pants with black stripes. She looked cute, I can really dig the athletic look, especially on her. What am I saying? This girl is a prejudice, discriminatory, loud mouthed little ugh.  
  
"Hey TJ." Fulton tipped his chin up to her as she stalks by  
  
"Hi Fulton." She waves and walks past the group we've formed in the far left corner of the class  
  
" How come she talks to you, all she ever says to me is complaints about the hockey team being over rated." I inquire  
  
"I dunno dude, maybe it's cuz I'm gonna play football too." He answers  
  
"Good morning class and welcome to your first day of eleventh grade Geography. I'm your teacher Mrs. Patterson and I think we're in for good year. Now, for your first assignment, I'd like you all to break into groups, I already have them predetermined alphabetically. Sara Armstrong and Beth Alameda, Nick Bartlett and Mary Blossom, Taylor Carter and James Cooper……."   
  
This is getting a might boring   
  
"Tricia-Jean Lyons and Luis Mendoza,"   
  
I take that back things just got interesting   
  
"Last is Fulton Reed and Dwayne Robertson. Alright now for the assignment, I'd like each group to research the heritage one or both members and write up a report on the land, customs, food, architecture and so forth on that particular area. You'll have to the end of the term to complete but do keep in mind you will be having a lot of work in other classes, so it's best to start soon. Now please break up into your groups."  
  
"So what do you know about Mexico already?" TJ asks after a few minutes of silence between us  
  
"Nothing, why should I?" I look at her strangly  
  
"Well aren't you a dumb, poverty stricken Mexican?"  
  
"For your information I'm Cuban and far from poverty stricken. I may not be rich like you, but my family takes care of itself." I snarl "You know if you were half as nice as you were pretty you'd be a lot easier to get along with." I growl storming out and cursing her in Spanish  
  
Damn that girl, damn her to hell. 


	3. Nice legs

~* Thanks for all the nice feed back, I love hearing from readers. Also glad you like this story so much Joyful, it you hadn't demanded this update, this next chapter would've taken a while.*~  
  
  
  
  
"Can you believe the nerve of that girl?" I groan slumping into a seat in math class   
  
"What girl? What are you talking about Luis?" I look up to see Charlie standing over me with a puzzled look on his face and Banks beside looking almost the same  
  
"Oh wait, you're talking about Tricia aren't you?" Banks sighs knowingly  
  
"She called me a stupid Mexican." I tell them  
  
"It was dumb, poverty stricken Mexican, thank you." I hear her voice coming from behind me and turn to find her walking through the door with Portman, Fulton and two other guys from the football team, Mark Cross and Paul Daimler. So having an ethnic background makes you not good enough for her, but being a complete idiot like Paul and Mark is allowed.  
  
I roll my eyes and suppress my rage as she smiles at Banks.  
"Hey Adam, it's been a while, you're looking good."  
  
"You too Tricia, you've changed." He says back to her  
  
"No I haven't, however your choice in friends certainly has." Why does she look directly at me when she says that?  
  
"Class please take your seats." Mr. Brimley cleared his throat from the front of the room  
  
As the Bash Brothers take their seats behind me, I began to wonder if being homosexually was against her believes. She seems awfully buddy-buddy with Fulton and Portman. I make a mental note to find out about that before turning my attention the to the teacher.   
  
"Hey Mendoza." I hear a voice as I'm exiting the classroom, I turn to stare directly into a pair of icy eyes  
  
"Tricia." I mutter  
  
"TJ." She chides "Anyway, I was thinking we've gotta work on this project, despite the fact you are who you are, we do have to work together. Can you come by my room later. I mean if you can find it." She smiles at her own joking rudeness  
  
She has a beautiful smile, her teeth are perfectly white and straight and she has these dimples. I don't know if I want to kiss her or smack her. Well I can't smart her because she's a girl but go with me on this.  
  
"I dunno TJ, I guess I could, since that was less insulting then most of the things you've said to me. What time?"  
  
"I've got football practice and I'm sure you have hockey practice so let's say five."  
  
"Fine, see ya later." I say turning to head to my next class  
  
After practice I showered quickly and headed over to the girls dorms to meet up with TJ. It was funny, I've walked down those halls before, many times heading to spend some time with a gorgeous girl, alone in her room. But never ever had it been to see a girl that actually hated me. They usually hate me after I leave but never while I'm on the way there.  
  
I knock a few times and hear nothing on the other side, I'm about to go back to my room when the door swings open.  
"Oh it's you? Come in." She sighs  
  
I push past her and sit crossed legged on the floor by her bed. She curls up on it then finishes under it for a notebook. She's changed since the last time I saw her, her brown hair loose for the first time and the cotton shorts she has on shows off her long slender legs nicely. I want to tell you if she was a nicer girl, if she was as draw to me as I am to her, I'd be ripping off her clothes right now.  
  
"Don't look at me like that?" She snaps   
  
Oh this is going to be one long night. 


	4. Orlando Posters

After being in the room with her for ten minutes, I'm starting to wonder if there's been a drop in temperature, or if it's just this girl personality. I can't figure out how something so beautiful on the outside, can be so nasty on the inside. I can't take this anymore, I've gotta say something. She's driving me crazy.  
  
"So what's your problem anyway?" I query tossing my spiral notebook in some random direction.  
  
"What makes you think I have a problem?" She grumbles staring at the Orlando Bloom poster she has taped to the ceiling above her bed.  
  
"Well if you don't have a problem, then you're just a miserable bitch." I declare and she jerks upright into a sitting position.  
  
"What makes you think I want to talk to you about it?"  
  
"Well, not to sound like an asshole, but you don't seem to have tons of friends here TJ and with your attitude, I doubt the number will be growing."  
  
"Fine." She throws her hands up in a defeated manner "You wanna know what's bothering me, fine. I won't get to play football this year, after all the begging the dean did to get me here, I find out at tryouts today that I'm ineligible."  
  
"Why?" I yawn, this conversation is already getting old  
  
"Apparently to play sports here at Eden Hall, you have to have a certain amount of academic credits. You're given until junior year to acquire at least one foreign language point, unfortunately at Blake you don't have to take a second language to play." Tricia laments  
  
"So can't you take a class this year?"  
  
"Sort of, I talked coach McKenna into letting join the team and going to practice at least until the season starts. I've gotta find a tutor to work with me for a few weeks and the day before our first game the coach will give me an equivalency test, if I pass I can play."  
  
"So what's your problem?"  
  
"The tutoring program hasn't started up yet for the year, so I have to find someone who'll be willing to help me on their own time, without getting credit for it. And Mrs. Taylor won't even tell me who any of the tutors are."  
  
I'm too decent of a guy, that's it the results are in, or maybe I'm just a sucker for a nice pair of boobs, either way, I think I just find the way to make TJ be civil to me at any rate.  
  
"Take Spanish and I'll tutor you." I volunteer   
  
"On what conditions?" See now she's about as suspicious as she is beautiful and rude.  
  
"There aren't any." I answer  
  
"There's always strings attached Luis, so why don't you just admit there's something you want in return." Tricia-Jean mutters  
  
"Okay, how about this, I help you out and you make an effort to be more pleasant to me."  
  
I know you all must be wondering why in the world I'd offer to help her after the way she's treated me. Well other then the obvious that she's gorgeous, it's mostly because I love a challenge. Not only that but I've been raised to think that no one is all bad. I know there must be something good inside her, somewhere.  
"See, I knew there was a catch."  
  
"What catch? All I'm asking is for a little respect, I think it's a fair trade." I declare  
  
"Fair! How can you call that fair? All you've got to do is give up a few measly hours of free time a week, you expect me to give up what I believe in." She retorts  
  
"You believe in judging people by the color of their skin, or the language they speak?" I trap her. If she says yes she admits to being a bigot, if she says no there's no reason why she can't make an effort.   
  
"Yes, no. Oh why do you have to be so difficult. Look Mendoza my family is very clear on the things they expect of me and not palling around with people like you is one of them. If my father found out I had you in my room right now, I don't know what he'd do, but it wouldn't be good."  
  
"So do you always do what your family expects?" By now I'm just trying to get under her skin.  
  
"No." TJ mumbles, returning to staring at her poster  
  
"Then answer this for me, if it wasn't for what your parents have told you, your whole life, would you have a problem with me?"  
  
"I didn't know Luis! I really don't feel like doing this right now, go away!"  
  
"No, not until you answer my question." I cross my arms and sit tight in my sea like an indignant first grader.  
  
"You want the truth?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Fine. Other then your obvious arrogance and the fact you're a hockey player, I suppose you're alright. "  
  
"There, we have a break through." I smile  
  
"Don't get the wrong idea, I don't want to date you, I don't want to be friends, I don't even want to talk to you other then when working on our assignment or during tutoring sessions."  
  
"I'm sure I can change your mind."  
  
"Not likely, now get out." Tricia pops off her bed and pulls me out of my seat. The next thing I know I'm starring at her closed door again.  
  
Still I can't suppress a victorious grin as I walk back toward my dorm. 


	5. Talking like friends

I can hear a radio blaring from the other end of the corridor as I walk through the girls dorms for my first lesson with TJ. Fortunately it's only 3:00 and most of the student body isn't around. I don't think anyone wants to hear the off key, rendition of Sweet Home Alabama that's flooding the hallway, from the room of who ever is attempting to sing along with their stereo.  
  
"In Birmingham they love the governor, fool, fool, fool. Now we all did what we could do. Now Watergate does not bother me. Does you conscience bother you, tell the truth."  
  
As I get closer to Tricia-Jeans room I realize she's the one with the voice that sounds a cat stuck in the dryer. I can tell you one thing, she doesn't have much going for her, well other then a nice body and some football skills. I knock on the door only twice this time before she opens it. Her face is glowing and I can tell she was having a fantastic time before I interrupted.  
  
"You're early." TJ states hitting the power button on her CD player.  
  
"Coach Orion pushed back practice today, so he could take his daughter to physical therapy." Tell her tossing my book bag onto the floor. "So you're a Skynyrd fan?"  
  
She blushes slightly, I have to say I find it cute, it's good to know there is some form of human emotion in the girl.  
  
"Uh, yeah, I grew up on Lynyrd Skynyrd. My father's way into southern rock. Do you like them?" A surprised look comes over her face.  
  
"Hell yeah, I am from Florida, I wouldn't feel like a real Floridian if I didn't."  
  
"That's right they started in Jacksonville, how away from there do you live?"  
  
"Miami's a little while away, a couple hours I think."  
  
"Have you ever been there?"  
  
"No." I shake my head.  
  
"So what's you favorite of their songs?"  
  
"The Ballad Of Curtis Lowe, or maybe Georgia Peaches. Why do you care about any of this all of a sudden?"  
  
"I don't." She says shortly.  
  
"Kay, then let's get started, I've got other things to do." I don't of course being that since Darcy a few weeks ago, it seems like the entire female portion of the student body is boycotting me or something.  
  
It's the next day and I'm sitting in my dorm waiting for TJ to show, Dwayne went to the mall with Ali so we'll have the to ourselves. Truth be told I think Tricia-Jean scares him, so he didn't wanna be around. Not that I can blame him completely, she is pretty intimidating, especially with those arms of hers. She must shot those footballs like a canon.  
  
Today we're working on the project, we agreed last night to alternate between her Spanish tutoring and the assignment. I've cleaned my room, believe it or not, for her arrival. Well if you consider stuffing the smelliest of my dirty laundry in the closet and turning my pizza stained comforter over so the cleaner side was out, cleaning. I do.  
  
I'm stuffing the rest of my junk under the bed when she walks in while knocking. I wonder if she realizes that knocking has no purpose if she's just going to walk in.  
  
"Oh honey you cleaned, how sweet." Tricia teases in a voice so lathered in sticky sweetness it's downright rude.  
  
"Haha." I laugh sarcastically. "So you ready to get started?"  
  
"Yeah." She sighs.  
  
"Great, make yourself comfortable."  
  
She nods and heads over to my bed and from what I can tell is about to sit down, before she slides to the floor in a perfect split.  
  
"What was that?" I gasp wide eyed.  
  
"I didn't wanna sit on your bed, something tells me the sheets haven't been washed since Ronald Reagan was in office." TJ replies.  
  
"No, I mean what is this." I gesture to the way she's now sitting on my area rug with one leg sticking out to the side and the other folded neatly under her.  
  
"Oh that, I took ballet for awhile, it helps with my agility."  
  
A half hour passes and I wonder where the time has gone, between working on the Geography assignment and listening to the classic rock station on Dwayne's stereo, we hadn't really said much in the way of true conversation, and time went by quickly. Finally Tricia-Jean tosses her pencil down with a exasperated groan.  
  
"I am so bored!"  
  
"Me too. And I've been dyin' of thirst for twenty minutes. I'm gonna run to the vending machine, get a soda, you want one?" I offer getting up.  
  
"Sure, thanks, um ice tea if they have it please."  
  
"Alright, I'll be right back."  
  
I walk out the door with a smile, she's finally lightening up. When I get back to the room with the soda in my hand, she's standing in the middle of the room doing what looks to me like bad impression of a flamingo. She's standing on one leg with the other sticking straight out behind her, extending her torso forward, and her finger tips were just grazing the ground. TJ smiles sheepishly at me and I raise my eyebrows.  
  
"Ballet stretch, I was feeling sorta stiff from sitting on the floor so long."  
  
"You don't strike me as the ballerina type, I'm sorry." I say with a laugh.  
  
"I'm not really, my mother made me take it, because my older sister Colette did. She wanted to be more girly, Colette was a cheerleader and prom queen, mom nearly had a fit when she learned I wanted to play football. I'm more of a daddy's girl. He's actually the one that pushed me to play."  
  
"He wanted his little girl to play football?" That seems a little hard to believe.  
  
"Yeah. See my mom she was born into this aristocratic family where she was raised all prim and proper, but my father's from this little town and South Carolina, he's sort of a hick you could say. Anyway, where he grew up football was a big thing, he was a starter on his high school team. He desperately wanted my older brother Edward to follow in his footsteps, but Eddie's idea of extracurricular activities was dating. Long story short, one day dad was throwing the ball back and forth with my brother, Edward missed it, I leapt out of my chair, plucked it out of the air and tossed it back, in a pass the likes of which my dad swears he hadn't seen since Joe Montana."  
  
I nod approvingly and then ask  
"So if your dads just a country boy, how'd you wind up here?"  
  
"It's poor luck, he took his first paycheck from bagging groceries to buy stock in some computer company that provides technological devices to NASA, in the late sixties and poof now he's a millionaire, that owns that company. He met mom at some charity banquet, they fell in love, moved to Edina and the rest is history. I've even got a bunny named Jet, because they're my favorite team."  
  
"You have a rabbit?"  
  
"Yup, we're so domestic. So tell me about the life of the traditional Cuban family." Tricia sips the ice tea that had been sitting almost forgotten by her side for nearly fifteen minutes.  
  
It's funny, you know, I usually have no trouble telling girls about myself, but most of the time it's in an attempt to get them to date me, they've never actually just come right out and asked about me. Truth be told I was enjoying listening to her, the more she talks the more it seems she's willing to give me a shot, maybe even agree to see a movie with me or something. Plus I don't know what to tell her.  
  
"What do you wanna know?"  
  
"Anything."  
  
"Um, well, when my parents first moved here two of my brothers and one of my sisters had already been born. None of them spoke any English and my parents still don't. They enrolled the kids in school, my dad went and got a job at a factory where they make lights and my mom started watching the neighborhood kids. We didn't have it real easy, but it could've been worse. I was gonna stay home and get a job to help out, but that was absolutely out of the question to my parents. They want me to become a doctor or a lawyer so I was forced into Eden Hall, but as weird as it sounds, I'd like to be an astronaut." I inform.  
  
"Hmmm, I'm trying to imagine you in one of those orange spacesuits, I just can't picture it."  
  
Just then there's a knock on the door and Charlie sticks his head in  
"Team meeting in five."  
  
"I better get going too." TJ says getting up and heading for the door.  
  
Upon returning from the meeting, (which was just to find out what sort of pizza Orion should have on order for our victory party for the next day, a total waste of my time) I noticed Tricia-Jean's notebook peaking out from under my dresser, it looks like it has been accidentally kicked under there and forgotten. So I pick it up and take over to the girl's dorms to give it back.  
  
When TJ's door opens she standing there in a pair of low rider black suede flares with white strings running up the legs and tying at the hip, a black sports bra is peaking out from under a white men's dress shirt that she has unbuttoned and tied just above her bellybutton, the top of her hair's pulled up and from her ears hang a pair of silver hoops. She's breath taking, I mean, think of what you consider beautiful and times it by fifty, my heart's pounding.  
  
"You look, you look, wow." I gasp.  
  
"Uh thanks." She looks at me as if I just told her she has bad breath, and I wonder what happened to the girl that was in my room a half hour ago laughing and bonding with me. "What do you want?"  
  
"You left your notebook, I brought it back."  
  
"Thank you, well if you'll excuse me I have to finish getting ready for my date with Mark." She tries to close the door but I put out my hand to stop it.  
  
"Mark from the football team?"  
  
"Uhuh, so?"  
  
"His brains are in his biceps." I retort.  
  
"I appreciate the info, bye." And with that she closes the door.  
  
As I walk away I start to wonder if maybe TJ has an evil twin. 


	6. Don't Screw With Friends

I pull out my chair and slump into my seat at dinner. I haven't gotten any food, I'm not feeling very hungry right now. To busy thinking about what's going on with TJ, I guess. She seems really cool at times, but other's she's just down right nasty.  
  
"So, how's things going with TJ." Fulton asks, stealing a French fry from Portman's plate. I've got to say, he's nervy, I would never come between Dean and food.  
  
An undecipherable mutter comes out of my mouth and the rest of the team looks over at me.  
  
"That good huh?" Guy queries.  
  
"I've decided the girl has more then one person living in her head." I say. " She goes fun and friendly to ice bitch in 3.5 seconds."  
  
"I'll talk to her for you." Jesse's girlfriend Maryann volunteers.  
  
"No thanks Maryann, she can be rough, she made Alicia cry."  
  
"Luis, no one makes me cry. You can't out bitch, the world's biggest." She retorts.  
  
"Jesse man, where did you find her?" Russ laughs.  
  
"I'm serious, which one's TJ?" Maryann bounces agitated.  
  
"Maybe you should let Luis handle this." Jesse tells her, which earns him a dirty look. "Okay, or you could go talk to her."  
  
"Thanks Hun, who is she?"  
  
"The only girl at the football team table." Portman responds as she gets up and crosses the lunch room.  
  
From where we sit, we're getting a pretty good view of everything that's going on. Maryann's standing above Tricia-Jean with her neck moving back and fourth and her finger wagging. I can't tell what she's saying but for the way her lips are moving, I assume it's not something very nice. I've got to tell you, I hope Jesse never cheats on her or something, cause she can be one intimating girl when she wants to.  
  
As Maryann spins on her heels and waltzes back over to us I notice the expression on TJ's face. She looks upset, not crying just unnerved, like she didn't know what hit her. I guess she met her match and doesn't like it.  
  
"What did you say to her?" Jesse asks, as his girlfriend sits back down beside him.   
  
"You know, I don't really know." She replies "Whatever it was had her saying 'Look Maryann, I don't want any trouble with you.' But it was basically along the lines of Luis being one of your good friends, and one of your good friends is one of my good friends and I will hurt physically anyone that hurts mentally one of my friends."  
  
"You realize she's the captain of the football team right?" Charlie looks at her in disbelieve.  
  
"I'm aware." She shrugs "Oh yeah, she said she'll see you in her room at the usual time for Spanish lessons."  
  
"Oh boy," I groan "that isn't going to be fun."  
  
I knock on her door, just like I have been for days now, this time however instead of opening it to me she yells   
"Come in."   
  
I push the door open and look around her room, she sitting at her desk with her back to me and it appears she's reading. I walk up behind her and lean over her shoulder, she is reading JRR Tolkien's The Fellowship Of The Ring.   
  
"Is the book better then the movie?" I query and she jumps.  
  
Of course she snaps at me.  
"Do you make a habit of sneaking up on people?"  
  
"I knocked, you knew I was here." I defend myself.   
  
"Whatever. So you don't have your bodyguard with you, I'm impressed."  
  
"Bodyguard?"  
  
"Yeah, loud mouth brunette, about 5'7". You know who I'm talking about."  
  
"She's my buddy Jesse's girl, it's not my fault she doesn't like people to screw around with her friends."  
  
"I'm not screwing around with you Luis." She sighs.  
  
"What would you call it then? You're hot one minute, you're cold the next. Damn it TJ, I can be with you for hours and you make me feel like you actually like me, the next day I say hi to you and you treat me like I've got the plague. Just be straight with me for God's sake."  
  
"What do you want from me? You want me to tell you, how incredibly attracted to you I am? That every time I'm with you it takes everything in me not to jump your bones! Damn it Luis I can't do that!" Tricia-Jean yells. "I've grown up being told that people like you are worthless, that you take jobs from hard working white people, that you're the reason the crime rate is so high in the USA. I know you're family works hard and I know you're not a drug dealer, but I just can't change who I am, who I've always been because I may want to be with you."  
  
I smile and run my hand through my hair.  
"So you do wanna be with me."  
  
"Luis…"  
  
"Tricia-Jean…"  
  
"I never said that."  
  
"You never said you didn't either."  
  
"I've got something going with Mark, right for me."  
  
I shake my head.  
"Yeah you keep telling yourself that TJ. Look I don't feel like tutoring you today, I'll be in my room if you come to your senses."  
  
"Luis please…" She calls out as I exit. I'm about to turn and go back in when I realize, it doesn't make a difference, no matter what she's still just going to be a bigot. Something I'll never be able to get past. 


	7. Unspeakable acts

I jump awake on the floor of my room, (where I fell  
asleep watching a movie) when a frantic nock started  
to sound on my door. I shake my head to clear it and  
groggily stumble toward the door. Looking out the  
peephole I see TJ and she doesn't look like she's in  
the best of conditions, her hairs a mess, her face is  
downcast to the floor and her arms are wrapped around  
her waist like she's freezing cold.  
  
I open the door and she lifts her eyes from the floor  
and for the first time I see the small droplet of  
dried blood on the corner of her lip and the makeup  
smeared over her face. My heart stops, what was wrong  
with her?  
  
"Can I come in Luis?" She whispers hoarsely.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, of course you can." I usher her over to  
the bed, and force her to sit down. "What's going on?"  
  
"Nothing." She says finally, standing up and taking a  
hard breath that comes more like snort as he tries to  
calm herself. "I don't even know why I here."  
  
"You're here because something isn't right and you  
need to talk to somebody." I reach out for her,  
catching her by the shoulder to keep her from leaving.  
"Where are you going? Wait a minute!"  
  
"Don't touch me! Get your god damn hands off me! Don't  
ever touch me!" She yells trying to struggle free from  
me grasp, before all her muscles give way and she  
tumbles to her knees.  
  
I lower myself onto the floor beside her and tuck a  
tress of her dark hair behind her ear.  
"TJ, what's wrong? You can tell me, you can tell me  
anything."  
  
Tricia-Jean bites her lip just as it begins to quiver  
and her entire body starts to shake. Tears set off  
down her cheeks, in a race to fall off her chin. I'm  
at a loss all I can think of to do is hold her until  
she can tell me what happened.  
  
"I said no, he didn't listen. I saidno." TJ mutters  
almost incoherently, but still understandably enough  
for me to decipher it.  
  
"Who did you say no to Tricia? Who hurt you, what  
happened?"  
  
"Mark." we went for a drive." I told him no and he  
wouldn't listen." The girl ultimately reveals.  
  
Now I have to make perfectly sure I get all the  
information right, before I head off to kill him.  
"Mark, Mark Cross?Did he rape you?"  
  
The beauty shakes her head and closes her clear eyes  
tightly. "No... He made me- he forced me to- God Luis, I  
can't even say it!"  
  
"TJ we have to go to the police." I tell her, stroking  
her long dark hair as she sobs against my chest.  
  
"I can't!"  
  
"You have too."  
  
"I can't." She repeats.  
  
"You can't not. TJ, if you don't, he's going to get  
away with this."  
  
"I can't go to the police, okay, I can't even tell you  
what happened, how will I tell them?" Her words begin  
to get faster as if she were on the verge of a panic  
attack.  
  
"Shhh, alright, breath." I command as the  
hyperventilating commences, "Listen, look at me  
Tricia-Jean, breath."  
  
"Please don't make me talk to them Luis, please,  
please don't make me." She wails, again I don't know  
what to do.  
  
"Okay, not tonight alright? Tomorrow morning we'll go.  
I'll drive you. Promise me, tomorrow we'll go."   
make her swear.  
  
The girl nods and I sigh slightly. At least it's a  
start. After a long minute of silence, she lifts her  
head from my shoulder and wipes her tears away on the  
sleeve of my sweatshirt.  
"I don't wanna be alone tonight, Luis. Can I stay in  
here, please? I'll be quiet, I won't get you into any  
trouble, I'll even sleep on the floor."  
  
I admit that there have been a few times that I've  
thought about having Tricia spend the night in my  
room, however in my fantasies the circumstances were  
always different. Then there's the fact that if we get  
caught with a girl in our room after curfew, both  
Dwayne and I face two week suspension, still I can't  
turn her away. Not now, not this night.  
  
After giving her a tee-shirt and a pair of sweats to  
change into, I tuck her into bed. Considering what's  
going on, sleeping on the floor is the smallest thing  
I can do. As I pull the blanket up around her  
shoulders, I can't fight the urge to kiss her  
forehead. So I do it and though I'm positive she's  
already out like a light, I hear her voice.  
  
"I love you Luis."  
  
I would be smiling at that, if the conditions of this  
night weren't like this.  
  
"I love you too." I murmur back, then go outside to  
sit in the hallway to wait for Dwayne. I've got to  
tell him what's happening before he walks in and finds  
a gorgeous girl sleeping in our room. After I've done  
that, there's one more thing left on my mind: I am  
going to kill Mark. 


	8. The morning after

I woke the next morning to find TJ already sitting up in my bed, staring at the wall.  
Her hair is out of whack and her eyes are all squinty with sleep, but she looks  
no worse for the ware. I push myself up off the floor and go sit beside her on my bed.  
  
"Are you ready to go to the police station?" I ask cupping her face.  
  
She moves her head in a way to make her cheek rub against my palm.  
"Couldn't we just stay here, and you can hold me a little longer.  
  
"No." I answer quickly knowing the idea is so tempting that if I think about it, I'd go   
along with it and the day would be at a loss. "I promise when we get back I'll hold you forever."  
  
"I didn't think so, but it was worth the shot."  
  
"TJ, I promise you, if you just come with me and report Mark, I'll hold for forever when we get  
back here."  
  
Tricia nods and slides off the bed.  
"I have to take a shower first, I feel so dirty right now."  
  
"You can't." I tell her. "Then you'll wash off whatever residue you might have on you, I bet  
they'll need for evidence."  
  
"There is no 'residue' Luis, he didn't rape me, I told you that."  
  
"Than what happened, tell me please?" I mildly beg.  
  
"You really want to know? Fine, he put his fingers inside of me, then her forced me to go down  
on him. Are you happy? Is that what you wanted to hear?" She shouts.  
  
Dwayne stirs in his bed and I think for certain that she woke him. Luckily the Cowboy could sleep  
through a German air-raid without so much as batting an eye. Still, maybe it would be better if he  
got up. He could help me deal with what I just heard. I feel a chill run the length of my spine as  
tears begin to spill from Tricia's eyes again and the story unravels from her mouth. How could  
someone be that inhuman, that vile, that desperate? How could someone have to balls to touch  
my girl like that?  
  
When she leaves to change her clothes, I tell her I'll meet her in the senior lot in an hour. Quickly  
I jump into a pair of jeans and shirt of my own and before I even tide the laces on my sneakers,  
I'm running out of the room.  
  
The next thing I know, I'm banging savagely on Mark Cross's dorm door. It can't be any later the  
7:30 AM and I'm positive I've already woken up the entire floor with my screams of 'Mark get  
your puck ass out here now!' When the door finally swings open, I reach in, grab a fist full of  
linebacker chest hair and pull him out.  
  
I have no idea where the strength to haul him out into the hallway came from, he's 75 pounds  
heavier than me, some how ever though I found a way.   
  
At one point I someone yells out  
"Luis Mendoza, is beating the shit out of Mark Cross."  
  
But I'm too busy pummeling the other boy to really notice.  
  
Suddenly I fell myself picked up from behind ad am yanked off of Mark. The person who dare get  
involved will be punished severely, I assure you.  
  
"Jesus, Luis, chill out." Okay, maybe not. I recognize that voice and turn my head to see Futlon  
beside, which must mean his very large boyfriend is the one holding me.  
  
"Put me down Portman!" I shout kicking him in the shin, probably not one of my better ideas.  
  
"What the hell got into you dude?" Portman put me down and rubbed his shin.  
  
"That son of a bitch, forced himself on TJ, last night!" I accuse.  
  
A murmur arise amongst the few people still milling around in the corridor and the Bash Brothers  
look ready to implode. It's never a pretty sight when they get angry like that, fortunately for  
Mark, one of the people in a nearby room had, had the sense to go to the office and get an  
administrator. We all disbanded at the sight of dean Buckley and the dean's assistant Mr.  
Rockwell.  
  
By the time I get too the lot Tricia-Jean is waiting for me, as I get closer her face changes from  
melancholy to worried.  
"What happened to you?"  
  
"Huh?" I look at her confused as he wipes a spot of blood away from the corner of my mouth.  
  
"You're bleeding."  
  
"Oh..." I'm not just pretending to not know about the blood, I really didn't realize it was there, or  
else I would've washed it off so she didn't notice. I was so wrapped up in demolish Mark in there,  
I must not have even felt the few good hits he landed on me, in his struggle to fight back. I must  
have been really enraged.  
  
"You didn't... please tell me you didn't..." TJ unexpectedly exclaims.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Please tell me you didn't go after Mark."  
  
"Well is honesty important to you?" I inquire as we continue our stroll toward her car.  
  
"Very." She responds.  
  
"Then I can't tell you that."  
  
"Ugh." She groans, sticking a key in the lock of a brand new, shiny, black, Corvette convertible.  
  
"These are your wheels?" I gesture to the car. It's a standard shift too, very hot for a girl to drive  
a stick.  
  
"Yeah, don't try to change the subject." We get in and she starts the engine. "Why did you go and  
do a stupid thing like try to beat up Mark Cross?"  
  
"I didn't try, I did beat up Mark Cross, beside it was worth it." That is the end of the  
conversation.  
  
After the reports are filed and the questions answered, TJ is so worked up that she lets me drive  
home. Not that I mind being behind the wheel of a Vet, I don't however like seeing her like this,  
it's heart retching. I lead her back up to my room and hold her like I promised I would, as much  
for my benefit as her own.  
  
A few minutes later she asks to called her parents and I give the phone. I'm sitting at my desk and  
can hear her side of the conversation.  
  
"Yes, I filed charges with the police. Yes, I have someone with me, I don't want to be alone. A  
really good friend, I trust him with my life. That would be great, I'm sure he'd be willing to come  
up with me for the weekend. Hold on." She puts her hand over the mouth piece and I nod yes  
before she even get to ask. "He said he'll come. Luis Mendoza. No, he's Cuban. No Daddy, I like  
him a lot. No, we can't discuss this later. If you and mother want me to come home this weekend,  
Luis is coming with me. Fine. Fine. Fine. Clear as crystal Daddy. Love you too. Goodbye."  
  
Why do I not think this is going to be a romantic, fun filled weekend? 


	9. Meeting the parents

We just pulled into TJ's driveway and the driveway alone looks like the main street of a small village. Her house is huge, it makes Banks' look like one of those trailers you see on TV after the owner sees a UFO. It's safe to say that I'm a bit nervous and I'm not even out of the car yet. Ignoring the fact that her family's obviously rolling in the dough, I'm also scared about spending the weekend in the home of a racist. This is going to be a first for me, the worst of it is, I don't think Tricia's told her parents I'm Latin. If she has, I don't think they were happy about it.   
  
The door opens and a fair skinned, brown haired, blue eyed, long legged ballerina type girl is standing in foyer. She's really pretty, but I can tell by the way she's looking at me, she wasn't expecting to open the door and find TJ and her Hispanic boyfriend. If this is any sign of how the weekend's going to go, I should jump back in the car and leave right now. But Tricia wants me here and I want to help her through the situation she's in right now.  
  
"Colette, this is Luis, Luis this is my sister Colette." TJ reaches around and pulls me out from where I'm partially hiding behind her.   
  
Her sister nods and in a snooty voice snorts.  
"Charmed."  
  
"Nice to meet you." I mutter, I'm suddenly shy.  
  
"Okay, well let's go in." Tricia declares and tugs me into the house.  
  
We walk in and I'm even more awed, the foyer of the house is huge, maybe even bigger then my whole house. I feel TJ's hand slip into mine and let out my breath, not realizing I'd been holding it since we'd entered the property. I can't believe she invited me, after how things were between us in the beginning of the year. I haven't mentioned the other night to her though. You know the night when Mark attacked her and she told me she loved me? I guess I'm scared that if I say something she'll tell me she was upset and tired and didn't really mean it. I'm definitely falling for her, I never fall for anyone. This is insane.  
  
"Just leave your bags, I'll have Stuart come get them." Colette decrees  
  
"Who's Stuart?" I whisper quickly to TJ.  
  
"Staff director." She explains.  
  
I shake my head confused.  
"Huh?"  
  
"He's in charge of the household staff, the cook, the gardener, the pool boy, the driver the housekeeper and the nanny we had when we were little. Stuart's sort of the manager, you know makes sure everything runs smoothly, sometimes he plays butler as well."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Tricia smiles at me softly and I grin back.  
"Where are mom and dad?" She asks her sister.  
  
"Father is in his office, he asked not to be disturbed until dinner and mother is at a bridge club meeting." Colette told her.  
  
"I see, what time is super?"  
  
"Cook should have the first curse served at 7:00. Oh and Edward is roaming somewhere. If you happen to see our useless brother please remind him of dinner time." With that Colette set off down one of the endless hallways leaving the two of us alone.  
  
"With all the money you guys have, you'd think your sister would buy herself a personality." I only halfway joke.  
  
"No kidding, she's my mother's daughter that's for sure. Well," She looks at her watch. "we've got an hour before dinner, wanna see the house?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
The next thing I know I'm being pulled up a flight of stairs. I told you she had strong arms, I can't imagine how far she can throw a football. This girl is absolutely the best.  
  
"This one, is my room." TJ pushes open a door at the end of a hall that could've doubled as an airport runway it was so long.  
  
The room is absolutely not what I envisioned when I thought of it. The walls and furniture were white, the carpet pink, the curtains yellow and on her white bedspread were pink and yellow flowers and butterflies. It was basically what came to mind when you try to picture the room Snow-White would have. Right down to the lace and tulle canopy over the bed.  
  
"This is your room…?" I raise my eyebrows in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah." She nods. "My mother wanted me to have a typical girl room like Colette. My mother wanted me to do everything like Colette. But there's one thing they don't know about, daddy let me do."  
  
TJ takes off toward the closet and I hang back a bit, before she turns and waves me forward. What I thought was a closet turned out not to be one at all. It was a small sitting room with autograph pictures of the last four Super Bowl championship teams on the walls and an official game ball from the Vikings. The walls are blue and the carpet and ceiling green and two leather couches are across from each other with an entertainment center at the end of them.  
  
"As you can see it's still got Blake colors, I haven't gotten around to changing it to black and red yet, but isn't it cool?"  
  
"It's awesome." I admit, sitting on one of the sofas.  
  
Tricia sits down beside me and turns on the TV.  
"It was a walk in closet but I'm not big on clothes and my father knew how much I hated the way my mother decorated my room, so he let me do this."  
  
"You think I can just sleep in here tonight."  
  
"Hmm, chances of my overprotective bigot father letting a teenage, Hispanic boy sleep in his daughters closet… not very good." She snuggles closer and rests her head on my arm.  
  
"I didn't think so."  
  
"You know, you told me you loved me the other day, but I'm still waiting for one of those heart stopping, mind melting patented Luis Mendoza kisses are the girls in school talk about." TJ says out of no where.  
  
Okay so she didn't forget about the whole 'I love you' thing. That's a good thing I guess, it means she must have been awake enough to mean it when she said it to me as well. What am I going to do about this? I can't fall in love with this girl, I can't fall in love with any girl. I've got a reputation to up hold. Luis Mendoza is the very definition of a Latin Lover ask anyone. Ever since Mindy broke up with me, that's the person I've been. No girl has ever made me feel like I needed her more then air before, no girl has ever heard the words 'I love you' come out of my mouth. Except… TJ, this might be the real thing.  
  
I slide my thumb under her chin and tip her head up, so our lips meet. The kiss starts out slow and gentle then grows with intensity. It's not a lip swelling, Earth shaking kiss like the one she's been expecting, but it's a good one just the same. It's the first one I've ever meant. Lastly I bring my mouth down to her ear and murmur.  
"I do love you."  
  
"I bet you say that to all the girls." She teases.  
  
With unadulterated sincerity I look at her and say.  
"No, I don't."  
  
"I believe you."  
  
We sit there for less then a minute before the red letters on her cable box read 7:00 and I'm whisked away again. Mr. Lyons must be a stickler for punctuality because we practically fly down the stairs. As we enter the dining room I feel the temperature drop, talk about nerve racking. Is hanging still legal? I've got a feeling if it is I'm going to finish the evening suspended from a tree on the back of the property.  
  
Her parents are sitting at both ends of the table, Colette to their mother's right and Edward to her left. The only seats empty are the two nearest her father and TJ sits in the one next to Colette so I sit across from her. Yes, this means I am between her father and her brother. Not the most comfortable place I've ever sat while eating. Honestly I think I would have been less scared if I'd been a guest to Hannibal Lector's pot lock dinner.  
  
"Mum, Daddy, Eddy, this is my friend Luis Mendoza. Luis this is my mother, Gloria Boudreaux Lyons, my father Jeremiah Lyons and my big brother Edward Lyons." TJ does the introductions again, the response much the same as it had been when I met Colette earlier.  
  
"So Tricia-Jean," Her mother begins and TJ rolls her eyes. She hates being called that. "I hear Nancy Banks' son goes to Eden Hall with you."  
  
"Do I hear wedding bells?" Mr. Lyons speaks up.  
  
"No Daddy, I haven't dated Adam since I was twelve."  
  
Gloria gives her youngest daughter a disappointed look.  
"Nancy showed me a picture of the boy at bridge today, he's become quite handsome."  
  
"Yes Mother, I'm still not interested. And didn't you think it's rude to talk about this in front of company." I don't miss the note of hostility in her voice and neither does anyone else.  
  
"Of course dear, so tell about you self Luis, what are your plans for the future? Are your parents sending you to college or are you getting a scholarship. You do have parents and plan to go to college correct?" Jeremiah asks, it's a typical father question with an underhanded racist remark hidden inside.  
  
I reply  
"Yes I have parents, two of them. But no they can't afford tuition so if I'm getting into college I'm going to have to do it the old fashioned way, by working."  
  
"Luis's plans are right up your alley Daddy, he wants to be an astronaut." TJ smirks at me from the other side of the table.  
  
"Really, you don't strike me as the sort." Colette states snottily sipping her water.   
  
"So how is it that you came to be friends with Tricia anyway?" Eddy inquires. "Mutual friends, however unlikely."  
  
"Actually we do have some of the same friends. Luis is on the hockey team with Adam Banks and two boys from the football team too." Tricia riposte  
  
I nod.  
"Yeah, Fulton Reed and Dean Portman. Nice guys, gay, but nice guys." I hope the Bash Brothers don't beat me into a bloody stain on the rug for outing them to TJ's family, but I really want to see what they'll say about that. Their daughter hanging out with not only minorities but homosexuals as well.  
  
"They allow homosexuals at your school?" Jeremiah looks up from his baked salmon.  
  
"They can't keep them out sir, it's unconstitutional."  
  
"Constitution, smunstitution, we didn't pay good money so our child could go to school with that kind." Mrs. Lyons deadpans.  
  
TJ shakes her head disapprovingly.  
"You're not paying anything Mother, I'm on a football scholarship."  
  
"Don't talk back to you mother young lady!" Her father barks and I can tell he was simply looking for a reason to end the meal. "Dinner is over."  
  
As we leave the dining room two things come to mind, 1) that's the most eventful meeting the parents I've ever taken part in and 2) I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. We're suppose to take the Lyons's family yacht out on one of the Great Lakes, let's home they don't push me over board. 


	10. Hard Choices

I'm standing on the pier watching as the yacht crew prepared the boat for our trip. The sky is pretty blue and the water looks calmer then I've ever seen water in my life. It's a beautiful day, the kind of day you dream about spending with the girl you love. Well maybe if it were minus her parents and all. I'm nervous about how this days going to go, but I don't think you can really blame me for that. Wouldn't you be worried if you were in my shoes?  
  
Anyway I am staring out at the water, listening to the sound of the birds as they flew over my head. A smile is plastered on my face and as I focus on the clear aqua colored water, I forget that I'm not alone. So lost in my thoughts I hardly notice the sound of approaching footsteps.  
  
"You don't get sea sick do you Mendoza?" I turn to see TJ standing behind me, in a short jeans cut-offs and a tank top.  
  
"I don't think so." I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her into my chest. "You got a bathing suit on under there?"  
  
She blushes and nods.  
  
"It's a two piece."  
  
"Really? Well let's see it then." I slide the strap of her tank top off her shoulder and am interrupted by a loud throat clearing.  
  
"Ahem, excuse us." Great it's her loving family.   
  
Gloria, her mother makes a snortish noise and gestures to the yacht.  
  
"Shall we go now?"  
  
We board the vessel and I'm whisked away by the captain under the guise that Mr. Lyons wanted me to learn to steer. But I know better, it was pretty evident he's trying to get me away from Tricia. Still I would be cool to get my hands on the controls, so I follow. From where I'm standing I can see the fast waters in front of us, it reminds me of being home, even if it is lake water rather then the Gulf. Either way when I'm not playing hockey back in Miami I'm usually at the beach with friends, so this is my element.  
  
I look out at the bow of the boat and catch a glimpse of TJ, standing alone watching the waves. She reaches down and grabs the hem of her shirt, pulling it slowly over her head. Then she shakes her hair, I'm certain she trying to gain my attention, but it's not like she has to really work hard for it. Tricia-Jean finally sits down on the bow, leaning back on her elbows so her face and flat stomach can be directly in the sun light. Picture the best issue of sports illustrated swimsuit you've ever read, that's what I am looking at. When I think nobody's looking I quickly grab the binoculars hanging near the wheel and focus them on her.  
  
TJ has a bellybutton ring, I never knew that. However it looks hot on her, it's the same ice blue as her eyes, I think it may be her birthstone Aquamarine, March. I've got to go talk to her before I explode. Unfortunately just when I'm about to exit the bridge I'm stopped by Jeremiah Lyons.  
  
"My daughter is a lovely girl."  
  
I nod with unarguable agreement.  
  
"She definitely is sir."  
  
"I'm sure you know that my wife and I only want the best for our children, that we set certain rules for them for their well being."  
  
"All parents do Mr. Lyons."  
  
"Yes, yes we do. But you see Luis, my children, particularly Tricia-Jean have never disobeyed my rules until now. My youngest daughter was born into privilege but more so even then most since I tend to favor her more then my other two children. You understand Luis, we've kept specific groups of people away from the kids, for their own benefit, and it was set a house rule that the children wouldn't go out in search of these kinds of individuals. Tricia-Jean however has taken upon herself to go against my wishes by allowing herself into a relationship with you. Not that I'm saying you're not a fine young man…"  
  
I rolled my eyes rudely and crossed my arms.  
  
"What exactly are you getting at sir?"  
  
"Well son, there are the right sort of people for my daughter find herself in the company of and there are the wrong sort of people. You are the wrong sort and I am prepared to make you an very generous offer to ensure there will be no more of your kind of influence in her life." The man takes a cigarette from his pocket and lights it.  
  
"You're going to pay me to stop hanging around TJ?" I stare at him in disbelief.  
  
"Of course, but I'm not foolish enough to attempt to put a price on Tricia-Jean's feelings for you, so on top of the large amount of cash I'm proposing, I'm willing to use my pull with NASA to get you into it's pre-astronaut program this summer. It would the first step in your dream to go space Mr. Mendoza. However I will not allow her to continue this relationship no matter what you decide, if you go against me on this, I'll be forced to remove my daughter from Eden Hall and send her to Cranberry Ridge School for girls where both her mother and sister went, if you care about her you wouldn't want me to be forced into that. Especially after all she's been through already this year with transferring from Blake and that boy that attacked her. Think it over, I'll give you until you leave tomorrow afternoon."  
  
I wait until he leaves and go look for TJ, she's not sitting at the bow anymore, now she's sunbathing on the starboard side. She's wearing a pair of headphones so I sneak up as quietly as possible. Thankfully he eyes are closed as well, so I slide down onto the deck beside her and gently lean over to kiss her lips.  
  
"Mmm, took you long enough." She moans and pulls my face down to her again. I pull away a little bit and she looks at me puzzled.  
  
"Not in front of you parents TJ." I'm not really pretending to be uncomfortable, I actually am. I feel like the entire Lyons tree is staring at me no matter what I'm doing.  
  
"Oh, I see."  
  
I'm having a hard time looking at her after the discussion I just had with her father. I love her, I don't want to let her go. But then again if being sent to the all girls school was going to hurt as much as he says it will I shouldn't stay with her. I care about her too much to let her be upset that way. Guess I just have to find out, but tact will be required here.  
  
"So TJ, did Colette go to Blake or Eden Hall?" I feign not to know the answer.  
  
She shakes her head.  
  
"No, she went to the Cranberry Ridge school for girls, it's the same place mother went, and she is simply a mini mother. Why?"  
  
"Just curious. So why didn't you go there?"  
  
"They don't have boys or football, Luis it would've been hell on Earth for me."  
  
"So what would you have done if you're parents forced you to go there?"  
  
"Kill myself." Tricia declares.  
  
I sigh.  
  
"I'm not kidding."  
  
"Neither was I." She retorts. "I'd rather kill myself then give up football, before you came along it was my life. And I wouldn't give it even for you."  
  
So that's it then, I know what I have to do. If I want to see her live a long and happy life, I've got to break up with her. This is the most unselfish thing I've ever done. Still I don't want to be unselfish, I want my girlfriend. But I want her alive more then anything, so I'll do it, I just don't know how. 


	11. Crash and burn

~* I don't own BBMAK or the song Ghost of You and Me*~  
  
Luis's POV  
  
I'm sitting in the very back of the student lounge sipping a coke trying to figure out what I'm going to say to TJ when the door burst open and a breeze sweeps in the room. One of the JV tennis players gets up and is just about to shut the door again before Tricia appears in the doorway with a sheet of paper in her head and a ecstatic look on her face. She spots me and her smile widens, sprinting toward me waving the paper excitedly.  
  
"I passed Luis, I get to play!" She throws her arms around my neck and nearly knocks me and my chair over backwards.  
  
"What?" I ask untangling myself from her grasp and take the paper from her.  
  
"That's my Spanish exam, I passed the equivalency test Hun, I get to play football this year. Isn't that great?"  
  
The grin on her face physically pains me, it proves to me how much football mean to her. After all the work she put into being able to play this season I could never ask her to give it up. I have to tell her, I'm going to tell her.  
  
I force a smile and kick out the seat across from me so she can sit.  
  
"That's fantastic baby."  
  
"I knew everything would work out, we passed our project, I get to keep playing football and my father didn't kill you. This calls for a round of soda for everyone, on me." She says the last part loud enough that everyone in the room can hear and the lady working the cash register looks petrified as a herd of teens rush the snack counter. "So you're going to come to my games right? You can sit in the bleachers and be all supportive, like all other players' girlfriends."  
  
"What am I the girl in this relationship?"  
  
"Hehe." She giggles and bounces in her chair then frowns. "Why aren't you happy Luis? You look so depressed."  
  
Alright, here goes, 'I can't see you anymore.' I didn't say that out loud did I? Nope, I'm chicken shit. I don't want to lose her, I don't want to let her go. If I could just get her to say she loves me more then football, that she'd give it up for me.  
  
"I'm just sort of out of it today that's all."  
  
"Distracted?"  
  
"A little, actually allot." I pick up the wrapper to my straw and begin twisting it in my fingers, agitatedly tying small knots in it.  
  
"Okay, what's on your mind sweetie? What's the problem?" Her crystal eyes stare into mine and my heart breaks.  
  
Cruel faint, just when I finally find love I have to give it up. Star crossed, Romeo and Juliet, I can't take this. I shouldn't have to lose her just because of the color of my skin, or the country my parents were born in. Love is blind and TJ's gorgeous eyes see no color when they look at me. When I look at her all I see is love. As I study her face I remember the first time I heard her laugh, the first time I felt her skin. Priceless memorize that will be locked in my brain forever. But it's time to get it over with, this isn't going to get any easier.  
  
"Tricia," I dropped the straw wrapper and reach out to grasp her hand, knowing this may be the last time I ever get to touch her again. "I think we should see other people."  
  
The smile that was moments ago embedded on her face like it'd been chiseled there fades and she swiftly yanks her hand away. I can feel the ball form in pit of my stomach, she's going to ask why. I don't what to tell her. Can I really just blurt out that her dad's forcing it? Wouldn't that hurt even more? Would you feel worse to know that not only was your boyfriend leaving but your father arranged it?  
  
"You're joking right?"  
  
I shake my head.  
  
TJ bites on her bottom lip as it starts to quiver and I just want to crawl into the floor and die. Watching the tears start to cluster in her eyes is nearly unbearable. I'd rather rip out my own heart and serve it up on a platter then cause her pain.  
  
"How could you do this to me? How could just walk into my life and change everything and then just walk out again as casual as you came in. This isn't me Luis, TJ Lyons doesn't date, she doesn't cry and most of all she doesn't fall in love, especially not with someone so different from everything she's been taught. I guess people were right though, you really can't change. Breaking hearts is your MO isn't it. I can't even stand the sight of you." With echoing crack she slaps me across the face and fleas the lounge.  
  
TJ'S POV  
  
I can't believe he just did that to me. I can't believe after all I risk for him, he'd just call it off like that, like it didn't even matter. But then that is what he's known for. I'm the perfect conquest, in retrospect. What better trophy for his friends in Florida then the rich girl with the racist upbringing? If he could get me he really must be the greatest Latin Lover.  
  
I need to get out of here, I need to take a ride. My car's parked in the back, I think I have my spare keys in the my backpack. I do, there they are, I'm out of here.  
  
I find my Vet just where I left it and I'm in it and out of the parking lot in no time. It's starting to drizzle but it's not to bad, my car can handle it. I need some music, music always takes away the pain. The rain interfering with my radio, that's just the way my day's going to be I guess. What's the only channel I can get to come in alright? The one playing Ghost of You and Me, by BBMAK. And it's just starting to top it all off, that's almost what I need to hear right now. A song about a love gone wrong.  
  
'What am I supposed to do with all these blues- Haunting me- Everywhere no what I do- Watching the candle flicker out in in the evening glow- I can't let go- When will this night be over- I didn't mean to fall-In love with you-And baby there's a name-For what you put me through-It isn't love-It's robbery-I'm sleeping with the ghost of you and me'   
  
Safe to say that's enough music for me. The radio's just distracting anyway, keeps your mind off the important things. The important thing for me right now is controlling this sled of a car. The rain's getting heavier and the road is slick, if I wreck this car will crumble around me like cardboard. One of the down falls to driving fiberglass with wheels. There's someone behind me beeping their horn franticly, but I haven't looked to see who it is yet, I don't want to take my eyes off the road. Still I think I should see who it is, and what the problem is.  
  
It's Luis and he's riding my ass pretty close. Leave it to that jerk to dump me and then follow me. If it's over, it's over. Can't he just leave me alone? I want him to just leave me alone. I want him to fall off the face of the Earth. He could just drop dead for all I care.  
  
SQUEAL, SQUEAK, SMASH. 


	12. Broken Bones

TJ'S POV  
  
I open my eyes and there's a bright light in my face and people clad in white bussing around me. For a second I'm certain I've died. Is this is the infamous white tunnel often described by people who've had near death experiences? I feel like I'm in a haze and my sight is blurred. Then all of a sudden my mind and body reconnect and things become clear.  
  
I'm in the hospital, the bright light that's being held by a doctor that's checking my pupils. And the people in white are the ER staff. My neck is in a brace and I'm strapped to a back board, I can barely move. I can feel the blood dripping from my forehead and there's an unbelievable pain in my left side.  
  
"My side hurts." I Say mildly fog bound. "It really hurts."  
  
"Okay Miss Lyons we'll get you and x-ray as soon as we can." Somebody say, but I'm not really sure who sense I can't move my head to look at anyone's face.  
  
Another voice tells me.  
  
"We're going to take the straps off your legs now. We have to remove your pants."   
  
As soon as they do my left leg juts out as if the straps of the backboard is the only thing holding it in it's normal place. Then they take blood from my arm, they say they need to make sure I haven't been drinking and then in that same whole I'm given an IV. Don't they understand I'm in pain? And I'm shaking too, I'm suffering from shock. My finger and nose hurt too, god I bet they're broken.  
  
I'm going to start panicking if they don't take this neck brace off soon, I can't move my head, to see anything that's happening. Please unstrap me, please. They won't take the binds off until after my x-ray, but they're sure taking their sweet time getting me to the x-ray room. They say there's already someone in there, the person that hit me. Who was that?  
  
Finally they start taking my clothes off so they can take me down to x-ray. Of course they have to cut my favorite panties off me as well. Did I forget to mention the catheter they just put in? That's not very comfortable. And suddenly I remember Luis was behind me on the road, he must be here somewhere. I reach out for a nurse and grab her arm.  
  
"Luis Mendoza, I need to see him."  
  
"I'll do the best I can." She gestures to the orderly and I'm wheeled away.  
  
"Would you like me to go look for that Luis person?" Another one of the nurses asks the women I talked too.  
  
My nurse shakes her head.  
  
"I know where he is, they transferred him to ICU after x-ray, he has head trauma. The police told me what they think happened is when Tricia-Jean crashed into she was thrown. the ditch the boy tried to swerve and avoiding hitting her. He would up getting his car stuck between hers and a tree. Supposedly his vehicle was squashed in all around him, they don't know if he'll make it. There's no use in worrying the girl."  
  
I just got back from my x-rays, the people in this hospital are bastards. I'm in incredible pain and the technician was bending me and pulling me. It fucking hurt. The good news is my neck is not broken so they can take the damn brace off. The bad news is just about everything else is. My left index finger, my nose, my pelvis and my sacrum to top it all off I was a cracked hip. But here's the best part, they're not going to repair any of it. Rather then surgery, they're going to pump me up with goofballs and keep me here until I'm steady enough on a walker to go home. A walker, can you believe that? I'm 90 years old already.  
  
I still haven't seen Luis, they must have discharged him by now. I guess he was really serious about breaking up, if he didn't even come see me before he left.~*Keep in mind she had left the room when the nurses discussed Luis*~ But right now I have other things to worry about. Number one being how and the hell am I going to play football when I can't even walk?  
  
By the time they admit me and give me a room it's 7AM and I haven't slept all night. I ache everywhere and I'm covered with bruises and road rash. Whoever thought being thrown from a car would cause this much damage? But do they let me get some much needed rest before they start to bother me? No, defiantly not. At 8 AM they bring my breakfast and a little less then an hour after that it's time for physical therapy. Physical therapy! I could barely sit up to eat my food, they want to see how I do on the walker. Deciding I suck at it, I'm given a wheel chair, but I not allowed to leave the bed on my own, so why bother.   
  
By noon I still haven't heard from Luis, so I call his dorm, nothing. Dwayne tells me he hasn't seen him, but he'll have him call me when I get in. At least these rooms come with phones. Since you have to pay for the TV and my purse is probably at the junk yard in my car. One of the med. assistants paid for me to have the boob tube for the day though. That was nice of him, even if there's no cable. All that's been on all morning is 'Good Will Hunting', now Ben and Matt maybe hot and I know they wrote that movie, but even they can't make that plot interest me. Plus I seem to turn the TV on just in time to watch the same part over again, I've still yet to see the beginning. Man, I need to get out of here. And I need to find Luis.  
  
~* I had planned for TJ to walk away from this accident with barely a scratch but I decided to give put her through what I had to go through after my car accident June of 2002. The 'Good Will Hunting', neck brace, no sleep stuff is all true in my case. For me I almost missed graduation in place of football season but you get the picture.*~ 


	13. Useless Tears

TJ's POV  
  
I'm going to see Luis today, at least that's what my nurse told me. It's been four days since I found myself in here and he still hasn't come to visit. I guess he was serious about breaking up. I don't know what hurts more, knowing that, or my bruised and achy body. Still, if he's willing to see me, there's hope left. Isn't there? Or do you think I'm just holding on to a dream?  
  
I'll find out soon enough, my wheel chair just arrived, I guess wherever I have to meet Luis at, is too far for me to get too with my walker. That's alright though, I'll enjoy the ride. Walking is for losers, at least what's what I've been telling myself for the past few days. That's what I've said about a lot of things in the past few days. Like walking to bathroom on my own, or showering without a nurse standing beside me. Normal things that I used to do just fine.  
  
We enter the elevator and I shiver as the door closes. A chill had run the length of my spine, suddenly I have a really bad feeling about this. When the doors reopen, I realize exactly why I feel this way. We've just entered the ICU. Why in the H E double hockey sticks would we be entering the intensive care? Suddenly I'm moving again as my nurse gets behind and pushes me out of the elevator. Going over the bump rattles my hip and it hurts, but I don't cry out. The ICU just didn't seem like the place to complain about my own pain.  
  
I'm rolled down the hall and as I pass more and more of the rooms and see their residence and thank god to be in as good of shape as I am. We finally stop in front of a room, there's a label on the door the reads 'LM'… Luis. Luis is in the ICU? I am pushed in and there he is. Battered, bruised, broken and bandaged.   
  
For a second my breath hitches and I'm certain I'm going to faint. This can't be my Luis, he looks too small and pale laying motionless in his bed. His skin is almost as pallid as the sheets that hang limply over his still body. He's a surrounded by a million beeping and blinking machines, this is unbelievable.  
  
"Oh Luis." I whisper rolling closer to the bed. "What's… what's wrong with him?"  
  
My nurse picks up his chart and reads it over quickly. Her face is grave as she places a gentle hand on my shoulder. "He's not doing so well dear, not well at all."  
  
That is obvious if he's was doing well, he wouldn't be lying there with his chocolate eyes closed, looking so lifeless and frail.   
  
"But what's wrong wit him?" I repeat.  
  
"I think it's best to just leave it at he's lucky to be alive."  
  
"He'll be alright, won't he? People come on these sort of things all the time, right?"  
  
The door opened and I moved my head to see a doctor entering with ad clipboard in the hand. "We're sorry, we just don't know." He says, he must have heard me.  
  
'We're sorry!' 'We're sorry!' These are the medical professionals? For Christ's sake, if they don't know how does? Just tell me who does know, I'll ask them. He's a god damned doctor for crying out loud, what good is he?  
  
"Is he going to die?" I gulp, swallowing the golf ball sized lump in my throat.  
  
"So far we have him stable, but critical and unresponsive. I think it may do him some good to hear a familiar voice. Are you close?"  
  
"Luis, is my savior." My voice is scarcely above a whisper. But it's true, he saved me from myself.  
  
"I see, well then we'll give you s few minutes." The nurse and doctor retreated out of the room and I'm left alone with the shell of my former boyfriend and all the beeping machines. It's creepy.  
  
His hands are so scraped and raw they practically resemble hamburger as I pick it up and tread my fingers though his. "Luis, it's TJ, I'm here. I wish I you could give me a sign that you're in there." I'm trying to remain calm and keep my emotions level but I just can't. I give in to my tears, resting my head on his barley rising chest.  
  
"I'm so sorry, I should've pulled over when I so you following me, I should have never taken my car in the rain. This is all my fault." I sob knowing full well my tears are not going to help. Then the machines went crazy and the next thing I know I'm being pushed out in to the hall and the door is closed in front of me.  
  
'Please, god, don't take him away.' 


	14. Open your eyes

Fulton's POV  
  
Portman and I have been spending allot of time at the hospital these past few days, since we're the only ones that are friends with both TJ and Luis. Dean's gone for a cup of coffee, I could use one too, but we agreed not to leave TJ alone. I'm starting to think that Luis, even with his current situation is fairing better then Tricia. The longer he stays unconscious the worse her condition grows. She isn't eating or sleeping and we're both starting to worry.  
  
"Has she moved at all?" A hand comes down over my shoulder and a Styrofoam cup enters my view.  
  
I shake my head taking the cup. "Nope, if Luis doesn't open his eyes soon, I don't what's going to happen to her.  
  
"Yeah…" Portman's knees crack as he bends down beside me.  
  
I turn my head and look at him and sigh. I don't know what I'd do if I was in Tricia-Jean's shoes. I think I'd probably be just as lost as she is, if anything ever happened to Portman.  
  
"Maybe we should go in there and get her. She looks terrible."  
  
"It's no use, I tried when you were in the cafeteria, she won't budge."  
  
"Well if that be the case, I'll toss her over my shoulder Tarzan style and carry her out."  
  
I nod and get up out of my chair. The rolls for the ICU are specific, you're only allowed to have two visitors in there at a time. However we do not care, therefore when one of the nurses gives me and my fellow Bash Brother pass into the room, neither of us stop and wait outside.  
  
"Hey TJ, you wanna come for a walk." I put a hand on her shoulder and she shakes her head.  
  
Dean sighs and suggests "Come on Teej, let's go get something for lunch, you look like you need to eat something."  
  
"I'm not hungry." She whispers defiantly.  
  
"Tricia, you can't just sit in here all day. It's not gonna help Luis, you getting sick." I know that's gruffer then Portman meant it to come out, but he has a hard with warm and fuzzy.  
  
"I can't leave…I just know as soon as I walk away he's going to open those beautiful brown eyes." Her voice grows more desperate as she clutches Luis's bruised hand to her chest. "Please baby open your eyes."  
  
This all I can take, I can't stand to see her like this. To see Luis like this, I have to get out of here and I'm TJ with me. "TJ, I'm not taking no for an answer let's go."  
  
"Okay." She replies then turns to whisper to Luis. "Don't you leave me."  
  
We were just to the door when another voice enters the conversation, a forth voice. One a weak, dull tone that declares. "I won't."  
  
I feel my stomach summersault as Tricia-Jean vaults back to Luis's beside. He's awake, his eyes are open and he's staring at us. Though his eyes lack their usual luster and his face seems blank of almost all emotion, he's still our resident speedster.  
  
"Hey guys, nice to see ya."  
  
"It's good to see you awoke, dude." Portman smiled. "How ya feelin'?"  
  
"Like my head's been split in half and Elmer's glued back together."  
  
I laugh. "That's pretty much what happened. Do you remember anything about the accident?"  
  
"Just that I was trying not to hit TJ." Mendoza reaches up and wipes a tear off TJ's face with his index finger.  
  
Soon Tricia's fingers are brushing his forehead, her blue eyes watering uncontrollably. "I thought I'd lost you." She gulped. "I thought you were gone for good. You can't leave me Luis."  
  
Luis flinches and pain flashes across his face. "We'll talk about this later okay? I'm so tired…"  
  
"I think that's out cue to get out of here." Dean wraps an arm around my waste and I nod happily. "We'll see ya guys."  
  
As we walk to the parking lot I turn to my boyfriend and ask. "Do you think they'll be alright?"  
  
"Luis seems to be doing okay, I mean I'm not a doctor or anything but he's awake now. That's gotta be a good thing right? And I think TJ'll be doing allot better now that Luis is awake."  
  
"That's not what I mean. I mean, the night of the accident, Luis broke up with her. I wonder what'll happen now?"  
  
Portman looks at me shocked. "Mendoza broke up with her? After all he went through to get her to like him?"  
  
"When he spent the weekend at her house, her father bribed him. He came to the rink looking for someone to talk too before he could figure out what to do. I was the only one around, so I got to be the lucky one."  
  
"Wow, that sucks."  
  
"Yeah. I don't think either of them can really deal with the stress of that right now, so I hope to God they don't try to talk about it. For Luis's health's sake, I hope TJ just lets it go." 


End file.
